The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-29
eEoRaEIsM AND GRoNLUNDIsM.

Inc United LaOor party Is TO nolu a con-
vention at Syracuse on the 18th of August.
AS now developed in the East, there are two
wings of the party, and there is likely to be
struggle between them for the mastery at
Syracuse. These are the Henry George wing
and the Socalistic wing Henry Georges
pet theory, as perhaps our readers know, is
that there should be no private ownership in
land but only in the products of land-that
the government should be the sole owner of
all land, and its citizens mere lease-holders.
This is good enough doctrine for the Social
lists, as far as it goes, but it does not go far
enough to suit them They accept it as
good beginning, but no more. In other
words, they regard Henry Georgeism
more advanced ideas of socialism.
The aims and objects of socialism are set forth
in statement by Mr.. Laurence Gronlund,
who, as his name would indicate, is of leu
tonic origin. Mr. Gronlund is one of those
philanthropic foreigners whose missionary
spirit has impelled them to sever the ties
which bind them to the old country and to
devote their time and talents to the work of
propagating socialism in the United States.
He belongs to that class of cosmopolitan states
men of whom it has been said
.sTrue patriot he for be it understood
He left his country for his country good
But whatever was Germany's loss in Mr..
Gronlund's departure is our gain, for he is
here to instruct us in the doctrines of social
ism without money and without price. AT
least, there is to be compulsory pay-only
voluntary contribution now and then for
beer money and other necessary expenses of
the cause. But we must let Mr.. Gronlund
state some of his views. Mr.. George as
already stated, favors government ownership
and control of all land. Mr.. Gronlund says:
eve go further and demand the national
ization of capital, also, and the abolition of all
monopoly. We do not mean that the state
shall transact all business, but that it shall
regulate it all, apportioning to each COM
munity, or society, or trade-union, or what
ever you call it. the work that it shall do, and
SO ordering things that the supply shall al
ways equal and never exceed the demand
George and the present United Labor platform
favor the naturalization of railroads and tele-
graphs, and that IS a peculiarly socialistic
IDEA. Our ideal IS q country WQere every
thing shall be centralized in the state It is
not fair to say that we contemplate the
naturalization not only of land but of all the
products of land, although in a certain broad
sense there may be truth in it. In our coun-
try things shall be so arranged that every
body shall have an opportunity to get all that
he needs for his physical and mental COM
fort or luxury, but there shall be op-
portunity for great accumulations in
the hands of individuals. Money, merely
as money, will be worthless. It will
not have any earning capacity in
itself, as it has now in the form of interest
The land will be owned by the State, and the
State will consist of an aggregation of COM
munities, which will work the land in COM
mon. 1t will be the same with manufactur-
ing. The State, the great central author
ity, will fix the amount of each thing neces-
sary to be produced, and for producing it the
workers In each particular trade will be en-
titled to charge a sum that will be fair COM
pensation for the labor involved. Machinery
and other means of labor. like land, will be-
long to the State. OF course, such system
will reduce to a minimum the opportunity for
what is called profit. Every one who labors
with hand brain will get just what he
earns and no more. Any overplus which now
constitutes, in one form or another, rent will
go to the State; and. on the other hand, the
State will act insurance company, max
ing up from the overplus in community
the loss which accident, flood or fire may
cause in another"
We have thought it worth while to give Mr..
Gronlund's views somewhat fully in order that
our readers may get tolerably correct idea of
the position occupied by lis wing of the
United Labor party. 1t will be observed that
the statesman from Germany does not sub
scribe to the maxim that ''the world is gov
erned too much" on the contrary he thinks it
is not governed nearly enough. He believes
not only in paternal government, but in grand
fatherly and t-grandfatherly government
so generally and judiciously applied that no
citizen will have much to do beyond breath
| ing. As the two great schools of political phi